While America is religiously very diverse, Fox News is, like its news staff, mostly monochromatic when it comes to religion. Unlike Fox News, MSBNC doesn't pretend to be "fair & balanced." Yet, on "Morning Joe," the "faith on Friday's" segment features representatives of all faiths while the "fair & balanced" Fox features, almost exclusively, a Catholic priest for its Sunday religion segment. Fr. Jonathan Morris is a reliable mouthpiece for the talking points of the GOP, religious right, and the Catholic bishops' views on reproductive issues - immigration and poverty, not so much. Not surprisingly, Morris supports those Christians who are praying that the Supreme Court will overturn a 2nd Circuit Court decision regarding prayer before public meetings. Fresh from a Florida Catholic Charities fund raiser and before his jaunt to Rome with Cardinal Dolan's entourage, Fr. Morris explained it all for us and in so doing was able to engage in standard Fox atheist bashing with a dash of thinly veiled anti-Semtism. Bless you father, for you have propagandized!
This past Sunday, famous "dick," Episcopal Church hating, and devout Christian Tucker Carlson reported that the Supreme Court will be hearing "one of the biggest cases of religious freedom in decades." (Note the use of the Christian right's perspective "religious freedom" as opposed to the more objective "First Amendment") The bright eyed little priest, Fr. Morris, provided details about the case, originating in Greece New York, where "for years they've had different chaplains of the month come in and begin their session with a prayer." Morris conveyed the impression that the chaplains were religiously diverse.
Fact Check - "For 10 years, Christian clergy have offered virtually every prayer that has opened the town board meetings in Greece. Two-thirds of their 120 recorded prayers contain specific references to “Jesus Christ,” “Jesus,” “Your Son,” or the “Holy Spirit.’” In 10 years of the board meeting once per month, only four non-Christian prayers have been given, including two prayers from a Jewish layman, one prayer from a Wiccan priestess, and another from the chairman of the local Baha’i congregation."
Morris, not a lawyer, opined that the prayer "sticks with legal precedent." He felt that it was "interesting" the case was brought by an atheist and a Jewish woman who say that "there should be no prayer whatsoever that offends people or will cause disagreement." (And why was it necessary to mention the belief system of these people?) He attacked them in saying "imagine a non-theist saying they want a prayer that is in no way going to cause disagreement, what is a prayer, it's talking to God." (As far as I know, Jews are theists) He added "it's ridiculous."
Fact Check - The two women who filed the suit argued that because the prayers are overwhelmingly Christian, they "violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution and promoted Christianity" and contend that they're not "even opposed to sectarian prayers, as long as it was made clear that these were the speakers’ beliefs and not representative of the town, and as long as non-Christians were also allowed to deliver them."
Man of the very fine cloth Morris whined that if the decision goes in favor of the plaintiffs, it begs the question of "why do we have God" and 'In God We Trust' on our dollar bill?" (Uh, because in the 50's, the US was fighting those godless commies?) He asked why there is a congressional chaplain. They chyron promoted the agitprop: "Impact on American Culture, Prayer is a Practice "Old as our Country." He cited how Kansas students can pray before a football game.
Fact Check - It was just passed be a local school board and will, most likely be challenged, based on the "2000 Santa Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe" decision that ruled prayer, over school loudspeakers, is unconstitutional.
He whined about how this "gets down to the core belief that we've had all these years in the USA that religion is actually not a bad thing" because "it's representative of the beliefs and values of a large number of people in our great country." (Fewer people, padre.)
While the circumstances of this case are different from "precendent," you didn't hear that on Fox & Friends which is America's premier morning Christian propaganda show. And as the "Church Lady" would say, "isn't it special," that Fr. Morris gets his own pulpit!
This insult to the Catholic church should have been ex-communicated decades ago.
NOTE TO MORRIS
You have no problem with Ailes choice of language at this sad excuse for a tv network, and you know exactly what we mean.
Marcial Maciel Degollado (March 10, 1920 – January 30, 2008) was a Mexican-born Roman Catholic priest who founded the Legion of Christ and the Regnum Christi movement. Late in his life, he was revealed to have abused boys and maintained relationships with at least two women, fathering up to six children, two of whom he allegedly abused as well.12
In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI removed Maciel from active ministry based on the results of an investigation concerning sexual impropriety started under John Paul II. Maciel was ordered to spend the rest of his days in prayer and penance.34 On March 25, 2010, a communiqué on the Legion’s website acknowledged as factual “reprehensible actions” by Maciel, including sexual abuse of minor seminarians.5
Coincidence? I think not.
Minute 2:38 on will sell my post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHqpDSL4tsg